India blocks Telegram nationwide for one week over NEET-UG exam fraud
The Indian government, at the National Testing Agency’s request, blocked Telegram nationwide from June 16 to June 22, 2026, to combat organized cheating rackets selling fake NEET-UG re-examination papers. Authorities also disabled message editing until June 30 to prevent evidence fabrication. The NTA, Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, and state police removed fraudulent channels. The move—the first large-scale messaging app ban in India—disrupted millions of legitimate users but was described as calibrated and temporary. The NEET-UG re-exam, originally canceled after irregularities, involved 2.2 million students and sparked protests.
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Google restores Telegram on Play Store as government-imposed ban expires
On June 23, 2026, Google restored the Telegram messaging app on its Play Store after a temporary ban imposed by the Indian government expired at midnight on June 22. The app had been blocked due to Telegram's failure to prevent the circulation of fake NEET examination papers and related fraudulent activities. Some existing users reported access before the official restoration. The app remained delisted on Apple's Appstore until around 10:00 AM IST. The government had ordered the ban until June 22, with no extension. Telegram has also been directed to block its message editing feature until June 30. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov criticized the ban, alleging lobbying by Reliance (partially owned by Meta) and WhatsApp. The NEET re-examination was conducted on June 21 with no reported fraud.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Delhi High Court Reserves Judgment on Telegram's Challenge to Temporary Ban Ahead of NEET Retest
The Delhi High Court has reserved its judgment on a plea filed by Telegram challenging a temporary ban imposed on the messaging platform ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination. The ban was reportedly implemented to prevent potential cheating or leaks during the high-stakes medical entrance retest. The court heard arguments from both sides and will deliver its verdict at a later date. The case highlights ongoing tensions between exam security measures and digital platform operations in India.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Delhi High Court issues notice to Centre on Telegram’s challenge to temporary ban ahead of NEET exam
The Delhi High Court on June 17, 2026, issued notice to the Union Government on a petition by Telegram challenging the temporary suspension of its services in India until June 22. The ban was imposed under Section 69A of the IT Act due to concerns that Telegram channels were being used to circulate leaked NEET-UG examination questions and coordinate cheating networks. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta alleged that several channels offered leaked questions for money and that authorities had repeatedly alerted the company. Telegram's senior advocate Dhruv Mehta argued the ban was discriminatory, as other platforms face no similar restrictions, and violated constitutional free speech guarantees. Telegram stated it had removed over 900 links related to unlawful NEET material using AI and human moderators. The court directed the government to respond by June 18, with the next hearing scheduled for 2:30 p.m. that day.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.India blocks Telegram for one week ahead of NEET-UG re-exam at NTA's request
The Indian government, at the request of the National Testing Agency (NTA), has blocked the messaging app Telegram for one week until June 22, 2026, ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21. The NTA stated that several Telegram groups were advertising fake exam papers and defrauding candidates willing to pay for them. This is the first time a messaging app of this scale has been blocked in India, even temporarily. Telecom operators began blocking access, and the app was removed from Google Play and Apple's App Store. Telegram founder Pavel Durov criticized the move, calling it a mistake that punishes over 150 million ordinary users in India, and noted that the leaks have simply moved to other apps. The NTA emphasized the block is calibrated and time-bound, and that it has been working with law enforcement to take down fraudulent channels.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Telegram challenges Indian government order temporarily blocking app over NEET exam fraud
Messaging app Telegram has filed a petition in a New Delhi court challenging the Indian government's order that temporarily blocks the platform from June 16 to June 22, 2026. The order was issued to prevent cheating in the NEET UG medical entrance exam, which was cancelled last month after authorities alleged its questions were leaked. The court agreed to hear the matter urgently after an advocate raised it during another hearing. Justice Tejas Karia is scheduled to hear the case. Telegram has not yet responded to a Reuters request for comment. The blocking aims to stop candidates from using the app to cheat on exams. Separately, a court ruled that a student accused in the NEET paper leak case can sit for the June 21 re-exam.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.India temporarily bans Telegram to combat entrance exam fraud
India has temporarily restricted access to the messaging app Telegram until June 22, and disabled its message editing feature until June 30, to prevent exam fraud during the upcoming NEET-UG medical entrance test. The National Testing Agency (NTA) said investigations found Telegram channels operated by 'cheating rackets' soliciting payments for alleged leaked exam papers. The NEET-UG exam, originally held on May 3, was cancelled on May 12 due to irregularities, affecting 2.2 million students and sparking nationwide protests. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi demanded the education minister's resignation. A mock political party, the Cockroach Janta Party, also organized protests. Experts call the exam discrepancies the biggest challenge for the government in 12 years. Telegram, which claims over 1 billion users, has not commented.
US Top News and AnalysisIndia curbs Telegram use over medical exam fraud concerns
India has blocked the messaging app Telegram until June 22, citing concerns over potential fraud related to a key undergraduate medical entrance exam scheduled for June 21. The move aims to prevent cheating and unauthorized sharing of exam materials via the platform. Telegram has grown rapidly in India, which is its largest market by downloads. The temporary ban will be lifted after the exam is completed.
The Business TimesTelegram App Restricted in India at NTA Request Over NEET-UG Re-exam Fraud
The Indian government, at the request of the National Testing Agency (NTA), has blocked the messaging app Telegram nationwide for one week until June 22, 2026. This unprecedented action targets organized cheating rackets using Telegram groups to advertise and sell fake exam papers for the upcoming NEET-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21. The NTA reported that several groups were defrauding candidates by offering fraudulent papers and editing past messages to fabricate capabilities. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology also ordered Telegram to disable message editing until June 30 to prevent post-exam fabrication. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) assisted in taking down numerous fraudulent channels, groups, and bots. The NTA acknowledged the inconvenience to millions of legitimate users but described the blocking as calibrated and time-bound.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Telegram App Restricted in India at NTA Request Until June 22 Over NEET-UG Fraud
The Indian government, at the request of the National Testing Agency (NTA), has blocked the messaging app Telegram nationwide from June 16 to June 22, 2026. The action targets organized cheating rackets that used Telegram groups to advertise fake exam papers for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, defrauding candidates. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued the order, marking the first time a major messaging app has been blocked in India even temporarily. The NTA, alongside the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and state police forces from Bihar, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, took down numerous fraudulent channels, groups, and bots. Additionally, the IT Ministry ordered Telegram to disable message editing until June 30 to prevent fabrication of fake evidence. The NTA acknowledged the inconvenience to millions of legitimate users but described the measure as 'calibrated and bounded in time', set to lift on June 22.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Telegram app restricted in India at NTA request until June 21
The Indian government, at the request of the National Testing Agency (NTA), has blocked the messaging app Telegram nationwide for one week until June 22, 2026. The NTA stated that Telegram groups were advertising fake exam papers for the upcoming NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination and defrauding candidates. This marks the first time a large-scale messaging app has been blocked in India. The NTA, along with state law enforcement agencies and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), had taken down numerous fraudulent channels, groups, and bots. Additionally, the IT Ministry ordered Telegram to disable message editing until June 30 to prevent fabrication of exam-related content. The NTA acknowledged the inconvenience to legitimate users but described the action as calibrated and time-bound.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.